Goodyear temporary workers win permanence…Temporary workers strike with permanent workers Temporary workers have a tough life.

Most earn less than permanent workers, they can lose their job anytime and they don't enjoy benefits that permanent workers enjoy.

But at Goodyear in Port Elizabeth, this has all changed. During the 5 week tyre strike in 2007, the 150 temporary workers joined hands with permanent workers to push for their demands.

And they won. By the end of the year, all temporary workers will become permanent.

Once they become permanent they will: be covered by the Tyre Industry Provident Fund (7,5% contribution from workers and 10% from employers) be covered by Goodyear's code of conduct – it is more difficult to get fired get job security and membership of a medical aid.

But it was not easy for the temporary workers. The company tried all it could to prevent them from taking part in the strike. It interdicted them.

But Numsa challenged the interdict and the court ruled that the temporary workers did have the right to strike and ordered the company to pay for Numsa's legal costs of challenging the interdict.

Their battle has been going on since 2002 when the company introduced labour brokers. And Numsa has been fighting for them to become permanent ever since.

Numsa regional organiser, Andile Zitho, praises the temporary workers for “their discipline over the last five years and the fact that they have appreciated all efforts that Numsa undertook for them.”

Meanwhile, Dunlop shop steward Vukani Mthethwa reports that his company has also agreed to make the 21 workers employed through labour brokers permanent workers by early 2008.

The temporary workers have been advised to apply for posts advertised internally. Even though Mthethwa says the process is going slowly, he is confident that it will be finalised.

And the lesson to other temporary workers from Goodyear and Dunlop workers – join Numsa and fight with other organised workers on the shopfloor to become permanent!

Abasebenzi abaqashwe okwesikhashana bawine ukuqashwa ngokugcweleAbasebenzi besikhashana e-Goodyear bayazithokozisa emva kokuba abaphathi bevume ukuthi kusukela ngomhla ka-31 Disemba 2007 bonke bazoqashwa njengabasebenzi abaqashwe ngokugcwele.

Kodwa kwakuwumzabalazo! Kusukela ngonyaka ka-2002 lapho babeqashwa njengabasebenzi besikhashana, bajoyina i-Numsa balwa kanye nayo. Ngesikhathi abasebenzi besikhashana bezama ukuya esitelekeni no-comrade babo kulo nyaka, abaphathi babavimbela.

Kwathi lapho ukubavimbela kwabaphathi kuhluleka, base behlanganyela nabasebenzi abadala abasebenza ngokugcwele esitelekeni ukuze benze isivumelwano esisha esasizobenza ukuthi baqashwe ngokugcwele.

Manje sebezothola imali yesikhwama sokusiza abasebenzi lapho bethatha umhlalaphansi, usizo lwezokwelashwa futhi baphathwe ngekhodi engcono yokuqondisa izigwegwe.

Emazweni omhlaba izinyunyana zohwebo zithi lokhu okutholwe abasebenzi base-Goodyear – izinyunana zohwebo kufanele zihlele abasebenzi abaqashwe okwesikhashana nabaqashwe ngokugcwele ndawonye uma sifuna ukulwa indaba yabasebenzi abasebenza okwesikhashana!

Tydelike werkers wen permanente aanstellingTydelike werkers by Goodyear vier fees nadat die bestuur ingestem het dat hulle almal vanaf 31 Desember 2007 permanente werkers sal word.

Maar dit was nie so maklik nie! Hulle het reeds in 2002, toe hulle as tydelike werkers aangestel is, by Numsa aangesluit en saam met die vakbond geveg.

Toe die tydelike werkers vanjaar saam met hulle kamerade wou staak, het die bestuur ‘n interdik teen hulle bekom.

En toe die bestuur se interdik faal, het hulle by die permanente stakende werkers aangesluit om te veg vir ‘n nuwe ooreenkoms wat hulle permanent sou maak.

Nou sal hulle ‘n voorsorgfonds en mediese skema kry, en sal hulle onder ‘n beter dissiplinêre kode val.

Wêreldwyd sê vakbonde dít wat die werkers by Goodyear ontdek het – vakbonde moet tydelike en permanente werkers saam organiseer as ons die euwel van tydelike indiensneming wil beveg!

Basebetsi ba nakwana ba atleha ho ba ba dinako tsohleBasebetsi ba nakwana ba Goodyear ba keteka ka mora ho ba botsamaisi bo dumele hore ho tloha ka la 31 Tshitwe 2007 bohle ba tla ba basebetsi ba dinako tsohle.

Empa hona ha ho a etsahala feela ntle le boitseko! Haesale ho tloha ka 2002 ha ba ne ba hirwa jwalo ka basebetsi ba nakwana, ba ile ba ema le Numsa mme ba lwana le yona.

Ha basebetsi ba nakwana ba ne ba leka ho kena seteraekeng le di-comrade selemong sena, botsamaisi bo ile ba batla taelo ya lekgotla la ho ba thibela ho etsa jwalo.

Mme e itse ha kopo eo ya thibelo ya botsamaisi e hloleha, ba ile ba ema mmoho le basebetsi ba dinako tsohle ba neng ba le seteraekeng ho fihlela tumellano e ntjha ya ho ba etsa basebetsi ba dinako tsohle.

Jwale ba se ba tla fumana provident fund, medical aid mme ba be ba laolwe ke melao e ntlafetseng ya boitshwaro.

Maemong a matjhaba diyunione di bua ka se utullotsweng ke Goodyear – diyunione di lokela ho hlophisa basebetsi ba dinako tsohle mmoho le ba nakwana ha re batla ho lwantsha taba ena ya basebetsi ba nakwana

What workers say about labour brokers?Would you kindly assist labour brokers to form their union because they are also employees pleaseSam Ramajake, VWSA Roodekop

Labour brokers must be scrapped! We are forced to work very fast to make bonuses for bosses not workers. We get no double time on Sundays and Saturdays. Favouritism divides us at workplaces. Anonymous, Secunda

What trade unions internationally are saying about labour brokers:A world-wide survey done by the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) of more than half of its 25 million metalworker members found that precarious work (temporary work and workers employed by labour brokers) had increased dramatically over the last five years and was “undermining workers’ wages and conditions of work”.

The survey found that "trade unions all seem to agree that the most important action to counter these developments was first to recruit precarious (temporary) workers into existing unions.

Once there, unions should ensure that precarious workers take part in union activities and provide them with legal advice."Other measures that trade unions were taking:* educating members and union officials about precarious work* include a provision in International Framework Agreements so that the principal employer was responsible for those employed by labour brokers.

"It said that "no trade unions surveyed were encouraging precarious workers to form their own unions."The November Central Committee of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) will decide on a co-ordinated strategy of global action against ‘precarious’ work. Taken from the International Metalworkers Federation (www.imfmetal.org)

Sources

Numsa News